Lorries far more likely to be involved in fatal traffic accidents

Lorries far more likely to be involved in fatal traffic accidents

A study by the campaign for better transport has concluded that heavy goods vehicles account for 1.4 per cent of traffic on minor roads but were invoved in over 7 per cent of fatal accidents. The report offers no insight as to the reason for this.

From my experience of regularly representing goods vehicle drivers in fatal accident cases , the single most common cause of fatal accidents involving lorries is cyclists positioning themselves dangerously close to the nearside of a goods vehicle in an effort to undertake or , even more dangerously , trying to pass a goods vehicle on the inside as it is preparing to turn left. Once again , the inference is that the motorist is to blame. My experience is that it will invariably be the cyclist who is the cause of the accident, often with fatal consequences.